Dugout Discussion

Gundogan back in City starting XI as Guardiola names strong side for Villa

After weeks of starting XI rotation around cup competitions home and abroad, Manchester City are back at something approaching full strength this evening.

The champions-elect take on Aston Villa in their delayed Gameweek 32 fixture, with kick-off in the Midlands at 20:15 BST.

Ilkay Gundogan has embodied that week-to-week uncertainty, having been benched in three successive league matches between Gameweeks 28 and 31.

The German is back in a Premier League starting XI this evening, along with Ruben Dias and a number of other high-profile, well-owned City assets.

Pep Guardiola has reacted to Saturday’s FA Cup defeat to Chelsea by making eight alterations, although the likelihood is that he would have rung most of those changes anyway.

Gundogan, Ederson, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden return to the team after benchings at Wembley.

Ruben Dias, Rodri and Gabriel Jesus are the only survivors from the side that started the last match.

Kevin De Bruyne is not involved after limping off with an ankle injury on Saturday, with Sergio Aguero also absent once again.

The Villa team news is more straightforward, with Dean Smith making only one change to his starting XI.

It’s an enforced one, too, with Trezeguet out for the season after knee surgery and replaced by teenage midfielder Jacob Ramsey.

This is the youngster’s first league start at Villa Park.

Jack Grealish is once again absent with a shin injury.


Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Nakamba, Luiz, Traore, McGinn, Ramsey, Watkins.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Silva, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, Jesus, Foden.

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659 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Who will be on pens for City tonight, Gundog?

    1. Rassi
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Ed

      1. Pep bites Kun
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Yes, the bet is on the one man in a team of 11, used to using his hands, rather than kicking a ball. Is this a bookie bet? 🙂

    2. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Yeah I’d imagine so? Outside chance of Mahrez?

  2. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Any other PL team could bottle it but City won't let's be honest

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Can’t see it

    2. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I dunno Davy. Looking pretty nervous there Davy.

    3. Collie01
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      It would need a huge collapse by City and for United to win every match for rest of season.

      Probably a 1% chance of City not winning the league at this stage.

    4. Random Name
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Regardless Man Utd would have to win all their games and that's not happening

  3. Random Name
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    So all the loser league teams struggling in their games thus far. Come on Villa

    1. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Not nice to call Villa a 'loser league team'. They're trying there best without Grealish. 😉

  4. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Any chance of a Dias goal or two?

    1. Rassi
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Lol

  5. The 12th Man
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Mendy,Son,Lacazette >> Sanchez,Salah,Watkins -8?

    Struggling to get 11 out with 4 yellow flags and 3 Spurs.

  6. F_Ivanovic
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Two weeks in a row watkins has come off the bench to give me some much needed points. No doubt he decides to blank next week to WBA when I start him but I can't complain!

    1. Free Hat
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Better put him on the bench then just in case!

  7. balint84
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Greenwood+Ichenacho next week for-4? Good move?

  8. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    City putting on some pressure now. Plenty of corners for them so far but no clearcut chances yet.

  9. MOZIL
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Will Jota start against Newcastle for gw33?

  10. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Even the European Super League lasted longer than that clean sheet.

  11. Pompel
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    this GW just keeps on giving 🙁

    1. FPL_Hazards
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Loving it. 88 with Nacho to play.

      1. Pompel
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Wow ,great score!
        Seems my own luck petered out

  12. BUZZBOMB
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Rotation has killed FPL as a concept. There is too much luck involved now and luck alone will be the differentiating factor in who is top 10k and who is top 20k or who wins MLs and who is runner up.

    If format is not drastically overhauled this summer, Im out and we'll see reductions in the number of players year on year instead of the sustained increases.

    1. Collie01
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      First rule of FPL: pick nailed players.

      1. Tango74
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I wonder who are nailed next year ? Who are your first picks !?

    2. FPL_Hazards
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Numbers go up every single season, is this outburst just because a few keepers are being rotated or because you aren’t doing well?

    3. F_Ivanovic
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      What a load of nonesense. Everybody knows about rotation especially if you decided to go for City players... just have to make sure you have a squad to cover it.

    4. Nimby
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      That's just not true. Most players in the game are pretty much nailed and we know the rotation risks.

    5. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I tend to agree with you. There was a time where you could work out who was likely to drop out and get a rest but now with the likes of Pep it's just completely random. Makes the game way less enjoyable.

      1. Tango74
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I find it more enjoyable. More differentials, DGW are not obvious choices for BB now

        I’m sure now most teams are very similar and people complain they can’t catch ML leaded

    6. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      So what format overhauls do you want implemented exactly?

      1. Duke Silver ☑
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Let's get rid of Pep for starters 😉

    7. Studs Up
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Was the feeling the same at the start of the season?

      1. Tango74
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Yes working out the front 6 of city and defe were a nightmare

  13. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Need a Dias header and a Gundo pen please

    1. JBG
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      This and it ending 2-2 or 3-2 to Villa.

  14. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    City need to shoot more.

  15. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Emi save

  16. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Tjose with city complaining about rotiation and luck??

    Really?

    If there was no rotiation everyone would have city players. U made ur choice now live with it. No luck invovled in this case

  17. FCSB
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    How does Reguilon get an assist for that, I thought handballs meant no assist?!

    1. Collie01
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      He was fouled for the pen.

      1. FCSB
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Oh sorry I thought it was handball, probably need to watch the highlights again ha, thanks

  18. R.C
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    dEmigod will win this for Villa!!

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      You ruined it.

      1. R.C
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        65 mins more to go

  19. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Foden

    1. _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      bsilva a

  20. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Foden G

    Justified being picked ahead of Sterling

    1. Collie01
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      He will be a difficult one to price up next year.

  21. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    What a goal!

  22. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Great goal

  23. Firminooooo
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Dias keep Rudiger 7 point on the bench. Now score a goal or I sell you to shitclub in China.

  24. FPL_Hazards
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Get in Foden

  25. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Silva assist

  26. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Benched Coufal and Dunk

    Started Stones.

    Mistake?

  27. JBG
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Oh pi$$ off Bilva and Foden.

  28. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Foden is a super player.

  29. Konstaapeli
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Good lad. Now go get another!

  30. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Piss off